Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Dunkley for her question and welcome her back from the excellent representation that she and the member for Gippsland gave Australia at the United Nations at the end of last year.

We have been delivering the positive and practical changes that the Australian people voted for on 22 May. We promised the Australian people that, after a wasted decade, we would not waste a day. And, indeed, we haven't. Cheaper medicines started on 1 January—the first time there's ever been a price cut in the 75-year history of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Cutting the price of medicines to $30 means that a family with two or three scripts could save up to $450 a year. On 1 February, 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave came into effect, meaning that women in a situation whereby they need to escape a violent circumstance won't have to choose between that and being able to put food on the table because they are able to get that assistance.

During the break, as well, tragically, we provided immediate flood assistance and disaster relief to communities in Western Australia around Fitzroy Crossing, to South Australia in the Riverland, and to New South Wales—more funding for those communities hit by devastating floods. Expressions of interest for urgent-care clinics have opened. We've released the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce Report. When it comes to our defence, we announced key acquisitions for the ADF, including high-mobility artillery rocket systems, guided weapons and upgrades to the RAAF's fleet of electronic aircraft. We launched our National Cultural Policy in Melbourne, supporting Australian artists and culture, and—at the same time, of course—supporting our economy. We established the royal commission into robodebt. You might hear a bit more about that over coming days because the evidence there has been quite extraordinary, with the devastating testimony about the impact of that disgraceful program on people's lives.

That follows from the other work that we've done through legislation, where changes will come in this year: cheaper child care from 1 July, and legislating a National Anti-Corruption Commission. This is a government with a sense of purpose. This is a government that is not here to occupy the space but to make a difference to people's lives, and that is exactly what we are doing.

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